Pivoting davit



May 2 6, 1959 s 2,888,152

PIVOTING DAVIT f Filed April 18, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR GeorgeM. Sugg A I %1 I ATFORNEy May26, 1959 G. M. SUGG 2,888,152

PIVOTING DAVIT Filed April 18, 1956 SSheets-Sheet 2 FIGS @i FIG 6INVENTOR George M. Sugg I ATTORNEY,

3 Sheets -Sheet 3 May 26, 1959 GrM. sues pxvo'rmc DAVIT Filed April 1a,1956 2,888,152 Ice Patented May 26, 1959 PIVOTING DAVIT George M. Sugg,Daytona Beach, Fla.

Application April 18, 1956, Serial No. 579,026

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention relates to davits and moreparticularly to movably mounted davits, pivoting about a single verticalaxis.

An important object of the invention is to provide a small boat handlingapparatus or davit which preferably comprises a single crane which maybe operated by but one operator.

Another important object is to provide such apparatus which is adaptedto contact the boat at the gunwales only while supporting and moving theboat.

Still another important object is to provide an apparatus as describedabove, which supports a boat by clamping and bracket means removablyconnected with the boats gunwales While the boat is being manipulated bythe app aratus.

Yet another important object is to provide such apparatus which iadapted to raise or lower a boat, rotate it through 360 of arc, andretain it with its transverse axis substantially vertical and above awharf, dock, pier or deck.

Additionally, an important object is to provide a small boat handlingapparatus or davit which is adapted to launch or raise a boat, tip theboat transversely so that its transverse axis i substantially vertical,swing the boat in various arcs for inspection, cleaning, painting andthe like, yet the connection of the apparatus with the boat is such thatit does not interfere with these operations and launching openations ofthe boat after painting will not mar the paint.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description of the invention, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisdisclosure, and in which drawings:

Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive are elevations of the small boat handlingapparatus supporting a boat as follows:

Fig. l with the boat in a substantially horizontal position, below thehorizontal plane of a deck of a pier as for launching or raising.

Fig. 2 with the transverse axis of the boat substantially vertical andthe boat mostly above the horizontal plane of the deck.

Fig. 3 with the boat raised above the horizontal plane of the deck andthe apparatus rotated to position the boat above the deck itself.

Fig. 4 with the boat of Fig. 3 lowered on its bottom upon the deck.

Fig. 5 an enlarged elevation of the small boat handling apparatus in aposition substantially as shown in Fig. 1 but not in use.

Fig. 6 is a like elevation but of the apparatus as viewed from the pierand in a position substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is also an enlarged elevation, being a side elevation, of thesmall boat handling apparatus.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal section, substantially on the line 8--8of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical section, substantially on the line 9-9 ofFig. 5.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A designates, by way of example, a conventional pier, B asmall boat of conventional construction and C the small boat handlingapparatus.

The pier A, is shown in Figs. 1 and 7 as including vertical supports orpiles 10, extending into a body of water (not shown) and extendingupwardly therefrom and supporting a substantially horizontally-disposeddeck 11, while the small boat B is shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive andincludes opposite :gunwales 15 and 16 and bottom 17.

The small boat handling apparatus C includes a fixed rigid supportportion 20, best shown in Fig. 7 which may be a substantiallyvertically-disposed first tubular member 21 provided at its upper endwith a flat-topped cap 22. At its lower end part, the member 21 may beprovided with spaced apart openings 23 for association with means 25 tosecure the member 21 to the pier A as at the pile 10 by means of boltand nut assemblies 26' with the shanks of the bolts extending throughsuitable openings 27 in the pile and axially aligned with the openings23. Of course, it is desirable to position the fixed support portion 20as close to the pier A as possible.

Slidable longitudinally of and rotatable on the member 21'i a movablesupport portion 25, which is preferably a sleeve or second tubularmember 26 having, as shown in Fig. 8, an interior diameter somewhatgreater than that of the exterior diameter of the tubular member 21,whereby the two members are spaced apart. For example the ratio of thisspacing as compared to the interior diameter of the member 21 may besubstantially 1:9. Preferably at its end portions, the member 26 may beprovided with a plurality of spaced-apart radially-extending bolt shankreceiving openings 27 circling the member 21. The bolt and nutassemblies 28 associated with the openings 27 provide means, representedby the rounded heads 29 of the bolts, to space the two members 21 and 26apart and provide bearings for ready rotation of the tubular member 26,and the shanks form supports for braces 45, 46 and 50 of the apparatus Cto be later described.

Preferably the members 20 and 25 are of metal such as iron, steel ornon-corroding metal.

Carried by the movable support portion 25 is a boom or truss 30extending downwardly and outwardly and spaced from the portions 20 and25. The boom may be a wooden one provided with alongitudinally-extending recess 31 opening at its upper end to receivesecuring means, such as a hook 32 with the bill thereof hooked about acrosspin 33 extending transversely through the boom 30 and into therecess 31. The crosspin may be the shank of a conventional nut and boltassembly. At the lower end portion of the boom 30 is a crossbar 34,L-shaped in transverse section, disposed to extend outwardly from theplanes of the opposite edges of the boom. The crossbar 34 may be securedto the boom 30 as by means of 1a gusset 35 bolted to the boom as bymeans of nut and bolt assemblies 36, and bolted to the crossbar 34 as bynut and bolt assemblies 37. The horizontal portion of the L-shapedcrossbar 34 extends toward the support. portion 20 and, to its bottomface, at the end portions of the crossbar are shoes 38 which, with thecrossbar forms in transverse section two inverted Ts. The crossbar 34may be secured to the shoes by means of nut and bolt assemblies 39.There is also associated with the shoes 38 an upwardly-extending portion40, preferably as wide as the shoe 38 and bolted to the upper portion ofthe crossbar 34 as by nut and bolt assemblies 41. The portion 52 of theshoe and the upwardly-extending poition 40 may be faced with a suitableresilient material, as elastic Webbing 43 and the elements at 42 and 43provide means to contact the gunwale of a boat, with the portion 42disposed in contact with the underside of the gunwale and the portion 4ddisposed in contact with the outer face thereof.

In addition to the resilient material of the mean last described, Iprefer to provide similar resilient material 44 at the upper portion ofthe boom, as in Figs. and 7 since the upper portion of the boom may becontacted by a boat, as will be described.

Suitable brace is provided to secure the boom 31) to the movable supportportion 25, such as the pairs of lower braces 45 and 46, which may besecured at one like end of each to the portion 25 as by two of the lowernut and bolt assemblies 28, while other ends of the braces 4-5 and 46may be secured to the boom as by nut and bolt assemblies 47 and 455.There is shown additional pairs of elongated braces 49 and 50 with thebraces 50 secured, intermediate their ends, to two of the upper nut andbolt assemblies 28 and secured at one of their ends to the boom 38 as bynut and bolt assemblies 51. The braces 49 are secured at one like end ofeach, to the boom, as at 52 and, intermediate their ends, to anintermediate portion of the braces 50 as by nut and bolt assemblies 53.The other ends of the braces 49 and 59 are secured, as at 54 and 55 to asuitable support 56 which may be an upwardly extending base for thebearings for two winches 57 and 53 having horizontal axes of rotationand each provided with conventional manually controlled rotationpreventing means.

The winch 57 is adapted to pay out and reel in a suitable flexiblemember 59, as a rope, trained over a sheave 60 mounted upon the cap 22in any approved way, such as by not and bolt assemblies 63 and 64 (Fig.6). The flexible member 59 extends to the book 37.. Reeling in of theflexible member 59 by means of the winch 57 will cause the movablesupport portion 25 and, of course, the boom 30 to move upwardly, andpaying out of the flexible member will cause the movable support portionand boom to descend.

Adapted to be wound upon the winch 53 is a flexible member 61 (shownbest in Figs. 5 and 6) having suitable means at its free end forattachment to the gunwale of a boat. This means may be a hook 62,adapted to hook under the gunwale of the boat.

In use, and referring first to Fig. l, the boat B is brought alongsidethe pier A and reasonably centered between the portions 32 oil the shoes33 with the latter below the gunwale 16 just opposite the gunwale l5,and the boat on an even keel. The flexible member 61 is now payed outuntil the hook 62; may be hooked under the gunwale substantially aspositioned in Fig. l and the flexible member 61 made taut. The winch 57is next operated to reel in the flexible member 59 which will raise theboat on an even keel. If it is desired to position the boat as in Fig.2, with the Winch 57 secured against rotation (as is well known in theart), the winch 58 is rotated to further reel in the flexible member 61,whereupon the boat will tip transversely on the portions 42 cf the shoes33 and may be thus ailcd out and washed, since it is in easy reach fromWhen the winch 57 is again operated ft in the flexible member 59, theboat will be raised the nwale 16 above the horizontal plane c the d dthe winch 57 again secured against rotati r in: boat may now be manuallyrotated, to the position shown in Pi". 3 With its bottom 17 exposed.This makes possible inspection, cleaning and painting of the bottom andother portion of the outer surface of the boat without obstructionswhich would render inspection, cleaning and painting more or lessdifiicult.

deck 11.

cr tee Fig. 4 illustrates the boat again in a horizontal position butdisposed upon the deck 11 (although it may be suspended above the deck)for, by way of example, painting the interior. It is believed now clearthat the boat may be painted and launched without damage to the newlypainted surfaces.

In the example shown the fixed support 20 is secured to the pier A butit is to be understood that this is merely by way of example and thatthe, fixed support may be embedded in concrete or otherwise securelymounted depending on the type of installation.

The support portions 20 and 25 with the boom or truss 30 provide, inassociation with the winch 5'7 and flexible member 59, crane means whilethe portions 4-2 of the shoes 38 provide first gunwale attaching andsupport means and the winch 58 flexible member 61 and its hook providesecond gunwale attaching and support means and means for tipping a boattransversely on the first gunwale attaching and support means.

Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shownand described without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A small boat handling apparatus including a crane having an elongatedupright member, a tubular member rotatably carried by said uprimt memberand slidable longitudinally thereof and an upwardly extending boomcarried intermediate the ends of said boom by the tubular member,gunwale support means for support contact with the bottom face and outerside face of a gunwale of a small boat upon movement of said boom andtubular member, said gunwale support means being carried wholly by saidboom, means for fixedly securing said upright member to ahorizontally-disposed support to extend upwardly therefrom, means forsupporting said boat and for transversely tipping said boat upon saidboom to rest thereon, carried by said tubular member and including aportion for detachably extending beneath and in contact with theopposite gunwale of said boat and reeling means carried by said tubularmember for selectively simultaneously raising said boom and tubularmember so that said gunwale support means and said portion are above thehorizontal plane of said horizontal support, whereby said tubularsupport may be rotated to cause said boom to carry a boat thereon to aposition above said horizontal support.

2. A small boat handling apparatus according to claim 1 characterized inthat said gunwale support means is disposed at the lower end of saidboom, and said reeling means includes a flexible member extendingupwardly from said tubular member to said upright member and thencedownwardly and is secured to the upper end of said boom.

3. A small boat handling apparatus according to claim 1 characterized inthat said boom is carried by said tubular member by a plurality ofbraces, which braces are secured to said boom at spaced-apart locationsintermediate the ends of said boom, and said gunwale support means isdisposed at the lower end of said boom, and said reeling means includesa flexible member extending upwardly from said tubular member to saidupright member and downwardly and secured to the upper end of said boom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

